Manufacture of expanded metal.



No. 884,714 7 PATENTED APR. 14, 1908. V N E. CLARK.

- MANUFACTURE OF EXPANDED METAL.

APPLICATION FILED APB.7,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wih leo oec {3n we 1 Wet (1mm b (1H 3 PATENTED APR. 14, 1908.

N. E. CLARK. MANUFACTURE OF EXPANDED METAL.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 7, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3 woe 1 utoz {YE Q/mw No. 884,714. PATENTED APR. 14, 1908.

' Q N. B. CLARK.

MANUFACTURE OF EXPANDED METAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q V0544 zoom 5 vwcn tor January 12, 1906.

UNITED sTA'r as PATENT OFFICE.

NORRIS ELMORE CLARK, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL METAL FABRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

manorao'ruan 0F EXPANDED METAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Original application filed January 12, 1906, Serial No. 295,810. Divided and this application filed April 7, 1906.

Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Noanis ELMORE CLARK a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainville, Connecticut, (P. O.address the same,) have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Manufacture of Expanded l etal, of which the following is a.

rull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the method or process of manufacturing expanded metal and particularly me'talof the typeset forth in my Patent 767,798, of August 16, 1904. The )resent invention contemplates the embodiment of the principles of my former patent 767,798, referred to, and 788,093, of April 25,1905, and comprises subject matter divided from my application 295,810, filed That application contains a fuller disclosure'of and claims for the mechanism employed for carrying out this method.

The method consists in slitting the sheets or strips of metal by' suitable mechanism, and then drawing out the strips or sheets by means of friction rolls so as to open the slits and form reticulations, and accomplishing simultaneously with the drawing action a smoothing or finishing of the product. This drawing action of the rolls is preferably ac- 0OIIl)llSl1(l gradually from the slitted materia to the full open mesh, so that the exansion may take place with greater uniormity and without undue strain upon the strands of the material.

I have illustrated the invention'adapted to expansion of three classes of slitted material, first, material slitted transversely of the direction of feed or line of travel in a machine, second, material slitted longitudinally of the direct-ion of feed in the machine, and-third, material slitted obliquely to the line of travel in the machine. Each of these classes of slitted material require, preferably, special mechanism for producing the expansion. The expansion of transversely slitted stock is referably accomplished by cylindrical rol s. The expansion of the longitudinally slitted stock is )referably accomplished by the use of conical rolls for'simultaneously acting upon the strands adjacent a diagonal row 0 slits, the angle of the cones being acute. The obliquely 'slitted stri is illustrated narrow in width and particu arly adapted for fencing. This is pref- ,able slitting punches,

erably produced-by the use of a number of conical rolls, one for each bond between the strands, the angle of the cones being obtuse.

The drawings are largely diagrammatic, but sufficiently illustrative of the invention to enable one acquainted with expanded metal working to comprehend perfectly.

Figure 1 is a lan view of a machine for expanding meta slitted transversely of the line of feed. Fig.2 is a diagrammatic view showing the continuous operation of slitting transversely, expanding and rolling. Fig.

' 3 is a plan view of a machine for expanding metal slitted longitudinally of e line of feed. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the continuous operation of slittin longitudinally, ex anding by conical rol s, corrugating, an the formation of a roll of corrugated expanded metal. Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating a series of conical rolls oper-v ating upon a strip of obliquely slitted metal. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal view showing the strip of metal in section. Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the obtuse conical rolls.

In Figs. 1 and 2 is illustrated the expansion from transversely slitted stock. 2'is the slitted stock. 3.45 and 6 are cylindrical rolls having differential peripheral speeds. 8 is the expanded material. eneath rolls 3, 4, 5 and 6 are referably arranged rolls 3 1, 5, and 6 aving corresponding-surface speeds. These rolls are riven by suitable gearing. The stock is fed between the rolls 33, where it is gri ped tightly. As itpasses along, the front eci e is caught by the rolls 4+4, which are trave ing at a slightly greater peripheral speed. This frictional engagement draws out the stock and o ens up the slits to form openings.

The re ls 55 operate in the same way, but rotating at a greater speed than the rolls 44 to draw out. the stock still further.

The drawing and ex ansion is continued by rolls 66 and may e continued indefinitely up to the limits of the size of mesh of the product desired. At the same time the expansion is taking constantly rolled so as to present a comparatively finished surface which is fiat and lies in the original plane of the stock. In the diagram in Fig. 2, 2828 indicate suitable feed rolls for the blank stock. 29-29 are suitand 30-30 are suit- This illusable delivery and finishing rolls.

place the stock is being.

tween the t 30 58. A'similar 55 signin the rolls 64 and 65.

it is manufactured in long strips. 60 ble to coil the comple'telyex andedmetal trated t e expansion of longitudinally slitted stock. 32 is the blank stock. 3333 are slittingrolls. 32 isthesli'ttedstock. 36-36 are rolls for smoothing the slitted stock and controlling its feed. 39 and 40 are con- 5 ical rolls arran ed above the stock. A similar air of ro ls are arranged beneath the stoc. of which roll43 is one. The elements of. these cones which contact with the surfaces of the slitted stock are arran ed at acuteangles to each other and to the ine of feed of the stock. All these rolls may be driven by suitable gearing. As the cones are rotated the strands of the stock are gripped between the surfaces of the upper and lower cones and drawn outwardly so as to form the expanded stock 55. 56 and 57- indicate a pair of rolls shaped like the .frustums of cones, which may be employed for giving a further expansion to the stock, as shown at pair of rolls is mounted beneath 56 and 57 of which 56 is one. cones bear only on the outer edges of the stock and their conjoint action is sufiicient to expand the central portion of the stock. 59 and 60 are the delivery rolls which cont-ind ally smooth the metal as it comes from the draw rolls and keep it under sufiicient tension, so that the operation of the draw rolls is uniform. It is not necessary to show the details of gearing, as they will be readily understood. i

In the dia ram of Fig. 4, the stock is slitted by the re s 3333, is passed between the rolls 3636, expanded by the ro1ls,,3943,. -5656, and smoothed by the. rolls '59 and 60. 64 and 65 are two rollers adapted to. corrugate the ex anded stri transversely to formthe stock illustrated diagrammatically at 66. This may be rolled up in a coil, as 67,

' for convenience in handling. Of course the corru ating rolls 64 and may be omitted 'if deslred, .but by their use it is possible to construct expanded metal having any sha e or character desired by simply properly (it.

livere from the rolls 80-30lin Fi 9, may also be coiled continuously if des'iret It is a convenient form of handling the stock when It is possiformed in this way with rapi ity. The pcripheralspeed of the conica rolls 39 and 40 and their corres onding lower rolls 43 and 44, of course c anges graduall. from the 65' apices of the'cones toward their uses. The

These .outer edges of the material.

- the expanding action.

The stock as de result'is that the outer. portion of the slitted strip is acted upon at a greater rate of s eed, an the ex r-msion along the outer e ge is more rapi This action is transmitted throughthe material being acted upon to- .ward the center, however,so that the central portion is acted upon not only by the tips of the cones directly but indirectly through the tension in the stock.- The. same general operation is true of cones 56 and 57. The taper of the cones and the angles which their axes make relative to the line of feed of the stock, willdepend upon the proportion of expansion which it is desired to effect in the material, upon the s eed of travel of the strip, and upon. the len ti of the slits in the strip.

; Figs. 5 an 6 illustrate the mechanism for. expandin an obliquely slitted strip and the method 0 expansion. 68 indicates the strip which. has reviously been slitted in lines .obli ue to t 1e length of the strip, the slits over apping or alternating relative to one another. 69, 70, 71, 72, 73 and 74 indicate a series of cones, the angle of the taper of which is obtuse, as shown particularly in Fig.7. Below the line ,of travel of the strip is located a series of corresponding cones. Three of these are shown in Fig. 6 and are indicated at69, 71, and 7 3 A strip of-material may be said to be made up of two outer continuous strands 75 and 76, and the central strand 77, connected to the outer.

strands by thestrands 78 and 79. It is preferred to accomplish the expanding action gradually. A series of cones are therefore provided, and their frictional or gripping surfacesare located so asto cooperate with the stri. as it moves along. The peripheral speed 0 the cones is graduated so as to correspond with the relative movement of the The rolls 80 and 80 may be provided to cooperatfliflv th the action of the conical rolls soast-o produce a uniform expanding action.

The gripping surfaces of the rolls in all three types ofmy invention may be perfectly smooth if desired, so as to produce a smoothproduct. This will, of course, require the application of considerable pressure in order to produce the friction necessary for The surfaces of the rolls may, however, be roughened or provided with teeth, grooves, corrugations, or

projec tionsfor assisting the drawing action. The particular character of surface employed. will de end 11 on the finish required in the pro not. he method or art of manufacture and the mechanism .cmployed are of such character as to permit of a wide range of variations in the product. 1

The product, as a consequence of the process of manufacture, is articularly adapted for trans ortation and .andling, since it maybe readi y coiled up. I do not wish it understood, however, that I consider the invention the plane of the original as limited to the operation on long strips, since for certain classes of work the invention is peculiarly applicable to the production of lar e plates. I

The frictional engagement herein referred to is such engagement as results from the use metal, rolling it down flat, and continuously 0 eningthe slits in a single plane.

11. method of forming expanded metal material, which comprises slittlng a strip of metal and gradually and continuously opening the slits and retaining the bonds and of smooth or substantially smooth surfaces strands in the plane of the original metal.

whereby slippage of the material between the surfaces is possible.

What 1 claim is:

1. The new and improved method of manufacturing expanded metal which comprises first, slitting the metal to form strands and then frictionally engaging the outer surfaces of the strands to open the slits and maintain the strands in a single plane.

2. The method of manufacturing expanded metal sheets which comprises slit-- tin the metal sheet and then continuously fee ing and expanding the slitted metal in sheet to form a flat sheet with alternately arranged openings.

3. The method of manufacturing expanded metal which comprises feeding a the direction of the slits, opening the slits in slitted sheet continuously at right angles to the direction of the line of feed and preserving the strands in a single plane.

4. The method of manufacturing exanded metal which includes the continuous rictional engagement of the surfaces of a slitted sheet along the lines of the bonds and eintirely across the. sheet for opening the s its.

5. The method of manufacturing exanded metal which includes the continuous rictional engagement of the surfaces of a slitted sheet along the lines of the bonds and straight across the sheet for opening the slits.

6. The method of manufacturing expanded metal which includes the frictional en-.'

gagement of the surfaces of a slitted sheet at right angles to the direction of feed.

7. The method of manufacturing expanded metal which includes the continuous feed and engagement of a slitted sheet to open the slits in the plane of the original stock and form a flat sheet.

8. The method of manufacturing expanded metal which comprises continuously feeding and expanding a slitted sheet in a single plane tov form a flat sheet. a

9. A method of forming expanded metal sheets or strips; which comprises slitting the metal to form strands connected at intervals, and continuously rolling the strands to open 1 the slits in the direction of the original plane of the metal to form a flat sheet. l 10. A method of forming expanded sheet metal material, which comprises slitting the slits and 'frictionally 1 metal fabric which consists in slittin 12. A method offorming expanded sheet metal material which comprises slitting the entire width of the stock, and continuously feeding and rolling the slitted stock to open the slits and form a flat sheet.

13. The method of manufacturing exanded sheet metal, which consists in forming alternating slits in metal in a direction at right angles to the engaging thev metal at a plurality of lines substantially at right angles to the direction of feed of the metal to open the slits.

.14. The method of expanding -a slitted sheet which includes feeding the sheet at a certain speed, applying a stretching force' at a speed to produce the desired total ex anthe metal, feeding the sion and ap lying an intermediate stretc 'ng force where y the total effective stretching action is divided in'to definite gradual steps. 15. The method of expanding a slitted sheet which-includes stretching and flattening" the sheet and again further stretching and flattening the sheet to form a flat prodnot.

16. The method of expanding a slitted sheet composed of strands and bonds, which includes stretching the sheet to open the slits and rollinglthe sheettransversely to the bonds to set t e bonds and strands into a flat plane. 1

17. The method of expanding a slitted sheet which consists in stretching and rolling the sheet flat and again stretching the partially expanded sheet and rolling it flat.

18. The method of expanding a slitted sheet which includes subjecting limited portions of the sheet successively to a plurality of gradual stretching and flattening operations.

19. The method of forming an expanded a sheet, then flattening the slitted sheet, t ien ex anding the flat slitted sheet and then re 'ng the expanded sheet.

20. The method 'of forming an expanded .It ie hereby eerti fied that in Letters Patent No. 8 84,714;g1 gnted April 14,1908, upon the ap'piicatien of Norris Elmore C1ark,-0f Plainville, Godhecticut, for an improvement in the Manufacture of Expanded Metal, an error appears in the printed specification re q uiring correction, ae-follows In line :56, page 2 abbreviation and numeral Fig. 9 should read Fig.. and that the said Letters Patent shouldbe read I with thiscorrectiontherein that the same may conform to the record of the case ih the PatentQifice. a I

vSigned and sealed this 2su11 b April, A. 1)., 1908.

[SEAL] e. (LBILLINGS, I

I I I :Act'ing Gontmissiener of Patents. 

